1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to three-wheeled vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels and more particularly to a three-wheeled vehicle having a tilting mechanism, which allows the three-wheeled vehicle to have an improved driving stability and maneuverability.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Three-wheeled vehicles or tricycles are known to be safer to drive and easier to operate in comparison with two-wheeled vehicles. However, a three-wheeled vehicle has poor stability on bends. When making a turn, the three-wheeled vehicle is laterally inclined towards the outer side of the turn's curve by a centrifugal force. This is because the centre of gravity of the vehicle is concentrated in the upper part of the vehicle and centrally between both sides of the vehicle. Thus there is a danger of the three-wheeled vehicle turning over if the turn is attempted at a higher speed. Conversely, a two-wheeled vehicle has far greater stability on bends as the rider of the vehicle is able to incline himself towards the centre of curvature of the turn, thus moving the centre of gravity of the vehicle closer to the centre of curvature, thereby counterpoising the centrifugal force more effectively.
There have been a number of attempts to equip a three-wheeled vehicle with tilting means in order to improve its stability on bends especially at higher speeds. Typical prior art is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,535 (Stewart et al) where tilting motion of the vehicle is achieved through body control of the driver; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,424 (Van Der Brink et al) where a sensor and a complex tilting structure are provided for stabilizing a vehicle on bends. The prior art devices, however, have not been successful as they are either too costly to produce or uncomfortable and overly complicated for the rider when in use.